Scotland’s high streets in crisis: 9 pictures showing the decline of town centres

It’s no secret the high street is suffering. From cities to small towns, Scotland’s urban centres have been rocked by waves of store closures and a rise in long-term vacant units.

Some of the biggest names in retail have vanished and banks are no longer a fixture of every shopping centre. Politicians and business leaders appear powerless to prevent the changes brought about by changing lifestyles and the rise in online shopping. In 2017, Scotland recorded the biggest reduction in the number of occupied high street units of anywhere in the UK.

5. M&S downsizes

Marks & Spencer has been a fixture in Scottish town centres for decades. But the company plans to close 100 branches by 2022 - with stores in Falkirk, pictured, among those to be axed